Potential Applications of Immobilized β -Galactosidase in Food Processing Industries

Abstract

The enzyme β -galactosidase can be obtained from a wide variety of sources such as microorganisms, plants, and animals. The use of β -galactosidase for the hydrolysis of lactose in milk and whey is one of the promising enzymatic applications in food and dairy processing industries. The enzyme can be used in either soluble or immobilized forms but the soluble enzyme can be used only for batch processes and the immobilized form has the advantage of being used in batch wise as well as in continuous operation. Immobilization has been found to be convenient method to make enzyme thermostable and to prevent the loss of enzyme activity. This review has been focused on the different types of techniques used for the immobilization of β -galactosidase and its potential applications in food industry.